MT. DIABLO UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH Christmas Eve 8:00pm December 24, 2020 8:00 p.m. WELCOME! CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE: “OF MIRACLES AND POSSIBILITIES” December 24, 2020 ELCOME W ! PRELUDE Largo from Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, R V 297, "Winter" (L'inverno) (Antonio Vivaldi) Johanna McShane (violin) & Brett Carson (piano) WELCOME Rev. Leslie Takahashi INVOCATION “Angels We Have Heard on High” (arr. Donald McCullough)) Chalice Choir LIGHTING THE CHALICE Indigo Lewis Each time we meet for worship, we light a chalice, which has become a symbol of Unitarian Universalists and our engagement in the world. CAROL “O Come All Ye Faithful” John Francis Wade wrote this beloved Christmas hymn, which was translated from Latin into English for the first time nearly a century later. All of this evening’s congregational songs have been adapted and/or arranged for strings and piano by our Music Director. READINGS FROM THE CHRISTMAS STORY: Luke 2:1-7 Miranda Lennox ANTHEM “Glory, Glory, Glory to the Newborn King” (Moses Hogan) Diablo Choral Artists, (Mark Tuning, Music Director, John R. S. Walko, Accompanist) Luke 2:8-14; 2:15-20 Marena McGregor CAROL “O Holy Night” (Words: Placide Cappeau (translated by John Sullivan Dwight); Music: Adolphe Adam) In Roquemaure at the end of 1843, the church organ had recently been renovated. To celebrate the event, the parish priest persuaded poet Placide Cappeau, a native of the town, to write a Christmas poem. Soon afterwards that same year, Adolphe Adam composed the music. Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight's Journal of Music, wrote the English version in 1855. This version became popular in the United States, especially in the North, where the third verse resonated with abolitionists, including Dwight himself. STORY “Mary Did You Know” Rev. Rodney Lemery CAROL “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (see insert) Unitarian minister Edmund Hamilton Sears wrote this poem calling for an end to war, set to music by Richard Willis. CALL FOR THE OFFERING Rev. Leslie Takahashi OFFERTORY “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” (Ryuichi Sakamoto) Brett Carson, piano This collection will benefit the Ministers’ Discretionary Fund which aids those in need. READING “Waiting for Now” by Mandie McGlynn Miranda Lennox ANTHEM “In the Bleak Midwinter” (arr. Mark Hayes) Chalice Choir RESPONSIVE MEDITATION CAROL “Oh Come, O Come Emmanuel” HOMILY “The Miracle of Possibility” Rev. Leslie Takahashi ANTHEM “The Light of the World” (Lauren Daigle) Andrea Quigley A BLESSING OF LIGHT “May the light of possibility shine through each of us tonight and through the nights ahead, a symbol of our unity and our love.” CAROL “Silent Night” Franz Xavier Gruber (1792-1848), a parish organist in Austria, wrote the tune and guitar accompaniment for this carol in 1818 at the request of Joseph Mohr, a parish priest, who had written the text a year before. The last verse is reharmonized by our Music Director. CANDLE LIGHTING BENEDICTION Rev. Leslie Takahashi POSTLUDE Allegro from Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, "Winter" (L'inverno) (Antonio Vivaldi) Johanna McShane (violin) & Brett Carson (piano)
A Merry Christmas to All! Thanks to Karla Leibowitz for our flowers.
CAROLS
O Come All Ye Faithful Let all within us praise his Holy name!
O come all ye faithful Christ is the Lord, then ever! ever praise we! Joyful and triumphant His pow'r and glory, evermore proclaim! O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem His pow'r and glory, evermore proclaim! Come and behold Him Born the King of angels Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! --- [Refrain] O come, let us adore Him O night, O holy night, O night divine! O come, let us adore Him O come, let us adore Him Christ, the Lord It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Sing, choirs of angels It came upon the midnight clear, Sing in exultation That glorious song of old, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above From angels bending near the earth Glory to God To touch their harps of gold: Glory in the highest “Peace on the earth, good will to all, From heavens’ all-gracious King!” [Refrain] The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the angels sing. Yea, Lord, we greet Thee Still through the cloven skies they come, Born this happy morning With peaceful wings unfurled; Jesus, to Thee be all glory given And still their heavenly music floats Word of the Father O’er all the weary world. Now in flesh appearing Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hov’ring wing; [Refrain] And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
O Holy Night But with the woes of war and strife [Verse 1] The world has suffered long; O holy night, the stars are brightly shining; Beneath the angel-strain have rolled It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth! Two thousand years of wrong; Long lay the world in sin and error pining, And we who fight the wars hear not Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. The love song which they bring. O hush the noise of battle strife, A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, and hear the angels sing! For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. For, lo! The days are hast’ning on Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! By prophet bards foretold, O night divine, O night when Christ was born! When with the ever-circling years O night, O holy night, O night divine! Comes round the age of gold: When peace shall over all the earth [Verse 2] Its ancient splendors fling, Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming; And the whole world give back the song With glowing hearts by his cradle we stand: Which now the angels sing. So, led by light of a star sweetly gleaming, Here come the wise men from eastern land, Oh Come, O Come Emmanuel O come, O come, Emmanuel, The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger, And ransom captive Israel, In all our trials born to be our friend; That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. He knows our need, To our weakness no stranger! Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend! Refrains Behold your King! your King! before him bend! Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. [Verse 3] Truly He taught us to love one another; O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, His law is Love and His gospel is Peace; Who orderest all things mightily; Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother, To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go. And in his name all oppression shall cease, Refrain
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we; O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright. Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child. Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia, Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, holy night! Son of God love's pure light. Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus Lord, at Thy birth. Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
¡Noche de paz, noche de amor! Todo duerme en derredor; Entre los Astros que esparcen su luz, Bella, anunciando al niñito Jesùs, Brilla la estrella de paz, Brilla la estrella de paz.